As I understand it, testing is being delayed by the likes of Stephen Miller, who is not in a hurry to get results - and test results are very slow (much like Mnuchin's cheques!) - it cannot be right that of a population of 34 million there are only just under 800 000 confirmed case. I see that California have a bottle neck of tests waiting through a company called Quest so finally Newsom did the only sensible thing and called Roche of Switzerland in - something Trump won't like as he closes America.

The state set a grim record Sunday, with 273 new confirmed cases meaning it had its highest single-day spike.Confirmed coronavirus cases in Kentucky total 3,050 as of Tuesday morning and there have been 154 deaths, as Governor Andy Beshear warns that lockdown measures will be maintained despite public protests.The drastic increase came after protesters gathered outside the Democratic governor's press conference on Wednesday calling for him to 'Open up Kentucky' with an end to the shutdown restrictions.It is unclear if the protests had any impact on the surge in cases Sunday.

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A protestor shouts as hundreds gathered outside of the Kentucky State Capitol on Wednesday to call for social distancing measures to be lifted. Since the protests, Kentucky saw its largest one-day increase in new coronavirus cases on Sunday and deaths have reached 154

The lower blue line charts the number of new daily coronavirus cases in Kentucky. The number dipped after the first spike on April 10 but jumped to the highest number of new cases yet on Sunday, April 19, when 273 new cases were confirmed. The state total is more than 3,000

The lower gray line shows the number of new coronavirus deaths each day in Kentucky. The state had its worst day on April 12 when 19 deaths were reported

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear warns that lockdown measures will be maintained despite public protests that gathered around the State Capitol on Wednesday and Friday'We are still in the midst of this fight against a deadly and highly contagious virus,' the governor said during his daily news conference Sunday as he announced the spike.'Let's make sure, as much as we're looking at those benchmarks and we're looking at the future, that we are acting in the present and we are doing the things that it takes to protect one another.'The worst day for new cases in Kentucky before Sunday was on April 10 when 241 new cases were reported.

Since then, new cases had dropped as low as 81 a day before they began to rise again.There were 92 news cases reported Friday and 188 on Saturday before Sunday's spike.The number of new cases dipped again Monday to 94. Kentucky saw its highest number of deaths on April 12 when 19 new deaths were reported.

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The total number of coronavirus cases reached over 3,000 for the first time Monday

The number of active cases in Kentucky is listed as cases continue to increaseOn Wednesday, around 100 Kentucky protesters stood outside the window of Gov. Beshear at the State Capitol in Frankfurt as he spoke to the state's residents about the ongoing lockdown and its restrictions.The group gathered on the lawn to shout 'Open up Kentucky!' and 'King Beshear.'Hearing their shouts of 'facts over fear', Beshear said: 'Folks, that would kill people. That would absolutely kill people.'The same group of protesters returned on Friday but were met by barricades.Instead, a caravan-style protest was held as drivers drove around the state capitol denouncing the governor's stay-at-home orders.Protesters, whose 'drive-thru' protest was in line with social distancing orders imposed by the state, told WKYT-TV that the governor's decision to shut down commerce was unconstitutional.'When they started collecting license plate numbers that was one step too far,' said Brett Beaderson, one of the protesters.'And seeing what is happening in Michigan and other states, he needs to have some liberty pressure on him.'

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Protesters called for Governor Andy Beshear to 'Open up Kentucky' on Wednesday

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Around 100 protesters gathered in Frankfurt to for an end to social distancingBeaderson referred to Beshear's order banning gatherings of more than 10 people during Easter Sunday.Beshear said that state officials would enforce the ban by collecting license plate numbers of local residents who attended church services in violation of stay-at-home orders.'It sucks that people die, but they do, we can't stop that,' said Allison Atkinson, 44, of Clark County told the Lexington Herald Leader at the protest.'At this point we're putting every Kentuckian in a place of vulnerability because they can't feed their families.'Within the past month, more than 500,000 Kentuckians have filed for unemployment.

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A protester shouts as hundreds rallied outside the Kentucky State Capitol against current social distancing requirements and business closures ordered by Gov. Andy Beshear. The governor says that the requirements will continue until new daily cases decrease for 14 days

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Hundreds of protesters march outside the Kentucky State Capitol Wednesday as they call on the governor to ease coronavirus social distancing restrictions across the state There is currently a stay-at-home order in place in Kentucky in with mass gatherings are prohibited but smaller gatherings are allowed with social distancing.Nonessential businesses limited to minimum operations or remote work and bars and restaurants are limited to take-out onlyVisitors from out of state must also self-quarantine for 14 days.Gov. Beshear was among seven governors from the Midwest who announced Thursday they will coordinate on reopening their state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, after similar pacts were made in the Northeast and on the West Coast.The latest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky.

Governors to focus on four factors to reopen state economies

Controlling the rate of new infections and hospitalizations Enhanced ability to test and trace for the virusSufficient healthcare capacity to handle a potential resurgenceBest practices for social distancing at work

'We look forward to working with experts and taking a fact-based, data-driven approach to reopening our economy in a way that protects families from the spread of COVID-19,' the governors said in a statement.'Phasing in sectors of our economy will be most effective when we work together as a region.'On Friday, Gov. Beshear revealed his own plan for a phased reopening of the state's economy that mimics the guidelines released by President Trump's administration last week.The plan includes ramping up testing for health care professionals and the need for a 14-day decrease in new confirmed cases.

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Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack said that the state had 'not yet hit a downward trajectory' as can be seen from Sunday's spike.Gov. Beshear, however, said that some measure's could be lessened in the coming weeks but warned that new daily cases would need to decrease first.'We see the ability to really start opening up in some small ways maybe leading up to May and some other small ways in May — and then have a lot more optimism as we get towards the end of it,' he said.'We're not in the 14 days of decreasing under the White House guidelines to do certain things.'Cases numbers in Kentucky remain relatively low compared to neighbors in Missouri (5,807 cases), Tennessee (7,238 cases) and Virginia (8,990 cases).The state's death rate is 5.05 percent, however, just below the national fatality rate at 5.4 percent.At least 13 percent of cases reported in Kentucky have been nursing home residents. There were more then 800,000 cases and 42,920 deaths across the United States as of Tuesday morning.

[size=34]Bill Barr threatens to join lawsuits against governors who refuse to roll back stay-home orders – which he compares to 'house arrest'[/size]

The attorney general said the feds might intervene in lawsuits brought against governors

President Trump called to 'LIBERATE' three Democratic-run states

Some GOP governors are jumping ahead of White House guidance states should have 14-day downturn in infections before starting reopening

He threatened to 'side with the plaintiffs' in suits against states that impose orders

Orders come 'disturbingly close to house arrest'

By REUTERS and GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COMPUBLISHED: 15:11 EDT, 21 April 2020 | UPDATED: 18:09 EDT, 21 April 2020

Attorney General William Barr waded further into a debate over governors' stay-at-home orders meant to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, saying he would not rule out legal action against states if he thought their actions infringed civil liberties.Governors across the nation have closed businesses and schools and banned social gatherings in the face of a pandemic that has killed more than 43,000 Americans. Over the past week, a smattering of scattered protests have called for those orders to be eased to dull the disease's heavy economic toll.'We're looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place. And if we think one goes too far, we initially try to jawbone the governors into rolling them back or adjusting them,' Barr said during a radio interview on the Hugh Hewitt show on Tuesday.

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'We're looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place. And if we think one goes too far, we initially try to jawbone the governors into rolling them back or adjusting them,' said Attorney General Bill Barr'And if they´re not and people bring lawsuits, we file statements of interest and side with the plaintiffs ... As lawsuits develop, as specific cases emerge in the states, we´ll take a look at them.'His comments come after the Justice Department recently sided with a Mississippi church that sued the city of Greenville over state shut-down orders on the grounds it was imposing on religious freedoms.In that case, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of Temple Baptist Church, which claims Greenville is seeking to prevent it from holding drive-in church services that comply with social-distancing guidelines.Some states are aiming to reopen parts of their economies, while others have taken a more cautious approach, saying they need more testing before things can return to normal.

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President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, April 1, 2020, in Washington, as Adm. Karl Leo Schultz, commandant of the Coast Guard, national security adviser Robert O'Brien and Attorney General William Barr listen

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Protestors hold signs and wave flags along Grant Street during a demonstration, Monday, April 20, 2020, in Pittsburgh. Protestors want to reopen Pennsylvania's economy even as new social-distancing mandates took effect at stores and other commercial building

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Barr said the administration would first engage in 'jawboning' to try to persuade states to reopen

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A store stands closed as the coronavirus keeps financial markets and businesses mostly closed on April 21, 2020 in New York City. New York City, which has been the hardest hit city in America from COVIT-19, is just starting to see a slowdown in hospital visits and a lowering of the daily death rate from the virusBarr said on Tuesday that stay-at-home orders come 'disturbingly close to house arrest' but could, in some cases, be justified to protect public safety.He said there was a distinction between stay-at-home orders requiring people to maintain a distance of 6 feet (1.8 m) or to wear masks in public. Those orders 'are fine' because they reduce the risk of transmission.Barr said he was more concerned about 'blunter' orders which call for staying at home or shutting down a business 'regardless of the capacity of the business to operate safely.'Barr spoke after Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday ordered a relaxation of state stay-home orders. Georgia gyms, tattoo parlors, and bowling alleys can open as soon as Friday under Kemp's latest orders. Hair salons and massage therapy, as long as social distancing guidelines are practiced.By Monday, movie theaters and restaurants will be allowed to open. South Carolina's Gov. Henry McMaster is allowing local authorities to make decisions on when to open the state's beaches, pulling back overriding state orders. Department stores and some other retail businesses may open as soon as Tuesday.Republican governors in Florida and Tennessee are also taking steps to peel back their stay-home orders. However some Democratic governors have said they will keep stay-home orders in place until coronavirus testing improves dramatically or until their states can meet health targets like those released by the White House last week.Trump has made comments defending groups of protesters who have blasted stay-home orders imposed by state capitols, and sent out tweets calling to 'LIBERATE' three Democratic-run states where protests were being held. White House guidelines by the coronavirus task force issued last week call for coronavirus and flu-like cases to be on a 'downward trajectory' for a 14-day period before states should move to a 'Phase One' reopening.

[size=34]'Nobody wants to die but we've got to take risks and get back in the game': Texas Lt Gov defends decision to reopen the economy amid coronavirus pandemic after saying it was worth risking lives to save jobs[/size]

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Monday there were more important things than living, including saving the US for future generations

His comments came as he defended the decision to reopen the state's economy

Patrick was heavily criticized last month for suggesting it was worth risking lives to save jobs amid the pandemic

He said the economic hardships felt in Texas and across the country as a result of the coronavirus lockdown measures had 'vindicated' him

In Texas, there are currently more than 20,000 infections and 520 deaths as a result of the coronavirus

The lieutenant governor of Texas says there are more important things than living as he defended the decision to reopen the state's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was heavily criticized last month for suggesting it was worth risking lives to save jobs, doubled down on his stance in an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Monday night. 'There are more important things than living and that's saving this country for my children and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us,' the 70-year-old said. 'I don't want to die. Nobody wants to die. But man, we've got to take some risks and get back in the game and get this country back up and running.'

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Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was heavily criticized last month for suggesting it was worth risking lives to save jobs, doubled down on his stance in an interview with Fox News' Tucker Carlson on Monday night

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Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott became the first in the country to announce the state would start lifting coronavirus restrictions He had implied in an interview with Carlson on March 23 that he would rather die from COVID-19 that see the economy destroyed due to what he suggested was an overreaction to the disease. In that interview, Patrick suggested that older people like himself, who are more at risk, would take care of themselves. Patrick said on Monday that the economic hardships felt in Texas - who started reopening some businesses on Monday - and across the country as a result of the coronavirus lockdown measures had 'vindicated' him.'When you start shutting down the economy and people start losing their paychecks and businesses can't open and governments aren't getting revenues... I'm sorry to say I was right on this,' Patrick said. 'I'm thankful that we are now... finally beginning to open up Texas and other states because it's been long overdue. Patrick questioned the science and projected death toll of COVID-19 after an influential model relied on by the White House and health officials has seen the number of possible fatalities lowered since the outbreak first started. 'I mean, at the end of January, Dr Fauci, who I have great respect for, said this wasn't a big issue. Three weeks later, we were going to lose 2 million people. Another few weeks later, it was 1 to 200,000. Now it's under 60,000,' he said. 'We've had the wrong numbers. The wrong science. I don't blame them but let's face reality of where we are.

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As of Monday, retailers were allowed to sell items for curbside pickup after Republican Governor Greg Abbott became the first in the country to announce the state would start lifting coronavirus restrictions

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A few hundred Texans had flaunted social distancing guidelines last week at a rally outside the Texas Capitol

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The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has released a new map projection that reveals when each US state could potentially start relaxing measures

US STATES LIFTING COVID-19 ORDERS:

Texas:State parks reopened on [size=13]April 20 and hospitals can start resuming surgeries on April 22.From April 24, retailers can reopen but only if they can deliver their goods or services to people at home or in their cars to minimize contact. Georgia:Gyms, bowling alleys, salons, barbershops and other indoor facilities to reopen April 24. Restaurants that have been banned from in-person dining will be allowed to reopen April 27. Bars and nightclubs will remain closed. Tennessee:State will not extend its stay-at-home order past April 30 meaning businesses will be allowed to reopen on May 1. Some businesses will be allowed to reopen as early as April 27, but it's unclear exactly which ones will be granted such clearance. Most state parks will reopen on April 24.South Carolina: Department stores and some other retail businesses to open April 20. Public beaches will reopen April 21.

'In Texas, we have 29 million people.... and every life is valuable but 500 people out of 29 million. 'We're locked down and we're crushing the average worker. We're crushing small business. We're crushing the markets. We're crushing this country.'In Texas, there are currently more than 20,000 infections and 520 deaths as a result of the coronavirus. Patrick's comments came after Republican Governor Greg Abbott became the first in the country to announce the state would start lifting coronavirus restrictions. As of Monday, retailers were allowed to sell items for curbside pickup, while elective surgeries could resume and state parks could reopen.Abbott said last week that future decisions on reopening more of Texas would be guided by testing.Although he assured that testing would 'go up quite a bit' in late April or early May, he did not provide a number. Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have all since announced partial reopenings of state economies.South Carolina opened some retail stores from yesterday, Georgia has announced plans to reopen gyms, beauty salons and barber shops this Friday, and Tennessee is set to ease stay-at-home orders within days. Such a swift reopening runs counter to the advice of many experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government's top authority on infectious diseases, who warned again Monday that resuming business too soon risked a fresh spike in infections.

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Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Margaret Hamburg told NBC's Today on Tuesday that she fears for the US states that have decided to reopen because some aren't even meeting President Donald Trump's minimum criteria. 'Some of these places are not even meeting the minimum threshold criteria that was put out in the Trump White House coronavirus task force guidance,' Hamburg said. 'I'm worried we don't know enough about how the virus has penetrated their communities.' Experts and health officials say a critical part of reopening stated and the US economy is widespread testing for coronavirus. 'The critical issue is that you have to have a complete test kit with the swab and the reagents to be able to do the test… We also have to make sure we're using a limited supply of tests wisely,' Hamburg said. 'We have been behind where we should be in terms of testing and that has made it really hard for us to even fully understand nature/scope of this epidemic,' Hamburg said. 'Many people who have looked at this deeply think we need to be doing somewhere between three and 20 times as much daily testing as we're doing.' [/size]

[size=34]Nurses protest outside the White House over 'Trump's failure' to provide protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic- before they pause to remember 50 colleagues who have died from the virus[/size]

Nearly two dozen members of National Nurses United held a demonstration outside The White House Tuesday

Nurses have called upon President Trump to ramp up production of personal protective equipment using the Defense Production Act

They are also demanding Congress implement federal safety standards at hospitals, claiming Trump's administration has 'failed' to adequately protect them

The protesters also paused to remember the 50 nurses who have died from COVID-19 during the pandemic

America's largest nurses union has staged a protest outside the White House calling on the government to ramp up production of personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly two dozen members from National Nurses United descended upon Washington, D.C. Tuesday, saying the lack of PPE has caused tens of thousands of their colleagues to become infected with COVID-19. The protesters also brandished placards featuring the names and faces of 50 nurses who have died from the virus since the beginning of the outbreak. At one point, the group solemnly stood six feet a part as one member of the NNU read out the names of the deceased. 'We're here because our colleagues are dying,' nurse Erica Jones told NBC News.'I think that right now, people think of us as heroes. But we're feeling like martyrs, we're feeling like we're being left on the battlefield with nothing,' she stated. Last week, CDC officials revealed that data provided by states tracking the occupations of people with COVID-19 indicated that healthcare workers account for 11% of infections. With 812,000 Americans testing positive to the coronavirus, that would mean more close to 90,000 healthcare workers have come down with the disease. +10

America's largest nurses union has staged a protest outside The White House calling on the government to ramp up production of personal protective equipment amid the coronavirus pandemic+10

Protesters also brandished placards featuring the names and faces of 50 nurses who have died from the virus since the beginning of the outbreak+10

The nurses wore masks as stood six feet apart from one another as they held up signs for photographers +10

The union is outraged that no federal health and safety standards have been established amid the pandemic, despite the shocking toll the virus has taken on healthcare workers[size=10][size=18]Nurses protest lack of protective equipment outside White House

Loa[/size][/size]

The union is outraged that no federal health and safety standards have been established amid the pandemic, despite the shocking toll the virus has taken on healthcare workers. NNU representative Amirah Sequeira told NBC News: 'Right now what's happening, in hospitals across this country, nurses are being told to reuse their N95 masks, not only their whole shift but for days or weeks on end. 'That is not safe. That is not protecting them, and it is not protecting their patients. We need an OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] standard to tell hospitals that the reuse of N95 masks is unacceptable and unsafe.' The union announced plans for the protest on their website Monday, stating: 'With the failure of the Trump administration to protect health care workers, NNU is demanding that Congress include a mandatory OSHA emergency standard in its next COVID-19 legislative package.'

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The nurses union is also calling on President Trump to ramp up production of personal protective equipment by using the Defense Production Act of 1950

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The group paused to remember 50 of their colleagues who have passed away from COVID-19

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The NNU is demanding 'the mass production of PPE, including N95 respirators, face shields, gowns, gloves and shoe coverings, as well as ventilators and COVID-19 testing kits'The nurses union is also calling on President Trump to ramp up production of personal protective equipment by using the Defense Production Act of 1950, which authorizes the Commander-in-chief to have business make materials deemed necessary for national defense. The NNU is demanding 'the mass production of PPE, including N95 respirators, face shields, gowns, gloves and shoe coverings, as well as ventilators and COVID-19 testing kits'.

The group claims they will need 3.5 billion N95 masks to see them through the pandemic. Trump was initially reluctant to invoke the Defense Production Act, which prompted widespread criticism due to a drastic shortage of ventilators.However, he later invoked the DPA to require 3M and General Electric to produce protective masks. On Sunday, he also authorities prompted criticism has invoked the Defense Production Act for testing swabs - revealing that he has ordered an unnamed company to produce 20 million swabs per month.+10

The NNU claims they will need 3.5 billion N95 masks to see them through the pandemic+10

The group say President Trump has failed to protect them as they serve on the frontline of the crisis +10

Trump has been reluctant to invoke the Defense Production Act - something the healthcare workers say is essential to safely see them through the pandemic

When these protesters say they know some people will die but they have to get back to work does it occur to them that they might be the ones dying? Or their children or parents? What good will a job do them if they're dead?

If it is possible to identify the person who infected you, will you be able to sue them? Could they be arrested? If you violate the shelter-in-place orders, don't wear a mask and gloves in public isn't that the same as the people who deliberately had unprotected sex knowing they had AIDS? I believe some of them were charged with attempted murder.

These people and the moron in the White House who is egging them on make me sick. It's way beyond time that drumpf was taken down. He's a traitor.

I'm in disbelief about this. I do understand that people need to pay their bills - that's why governments all over the world have started programs to protect the economy and people! They don't send each person a $ 1,200 cheque which might appear next month or in June.Our governments - both, the German government and also our federal states' government - have started a benefit program for small businesses. My sister who runs a restauranr applied for it and received the money one week later. People work short-time get most of the difference to their normal wage from employment office to avoid getting unemployed. Because that's not 100 % of their normal wage, they might apply for extra money by the government etc.But yes, there are people who argue for everything to re-open, see the economic damage for our society and economy as the greater danger. Parents of small children are exhausted to be responsible 24/7 since March 14th, are afraid to lose their jobs. My best friend who's a teacher at a grammar school told me that they have to call the pupils and their families once a week to find out if everything's okay, no violence etc. Usually you might find out about this when you see them every day, no there's no control...

The idiot who is head of our government is inept . He has no clue what he is doing and neither do the people he has hired.

When putting the plan to give people the money , there should have been a rule that banks cannot take any fees they are owed and neither can they hold up peoples money until the fee is paid. But of course no one thought of that .

The economy will pick up, the billionaires aren't hurting they are just greedy.

Last edited by annemarie on Wed 22 Apr 2020, 15:09; edited 1 time in total

Devos-Funded Group Organizes Protest Against Michigan Governor’s Stay-at-Home Order

Submitted by Alex Kotch on April 17, 2020 - 11:17am

A political group heavily funded by the family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos organized a raucous rally against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's stay-at-home order on Wednesday. Roughly 3,000 conservatives, including members of the Proud Boys hate group and Confederate flag-waving right-wingers, descended on the state Capitol. Most participants did not wear protective masks or observe social distancing recommendations.The protest was organized by the DeVos-funded nonprofit Michigan Freedom Fund (MFF) and a far-right organization called the Michigan Conservative Coalition.Just one day earlier, Whitmer had thanked Amway and the DeVos family, which owns the company, for donating personal protective equipment (PPE) to state hospitals. "Amway has really stepped up to help keep Kent County families and health care workers safe during this time," Whitmer said. The day before that, Whitmer called out the DeVoses for funding MFF as it promoted the protest.Despite Michigan having the fourth-highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, along with nearly 2,000 deaths, MFF calls into question the data and science that have informed Whitmer’s decisions and argues that she should reopen the state’s economy. The campaign against Whitmer has been especially harsh and sometimes personal. Some protesters chanted, "Lock her up!" as they approached the Capitol on Wednesday.The DeVoses fought Whitmer in 2018, donating large sums to the Republican Governors Association, which spent over $6 million against her.A DeVos spokesperson claimed the family did not sponsor the protest, and MFF's executive director disputed that the family financed it as well, claiming that MFF spent no money. The Detroit Free Press points out that the group paid for two Facebook ads that took users to the Facebook event page of the protest, which the groups set up and called "Operation Gridlock." MFF claimed the ads cost $250. The April ads were the group's first since last December. In addition, MFF's paid staff presumably spent time on the job coordinating the media operation. An administrator of the MFF Facebook page posted a live video and photos of the protest.MFF is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, so it does not publicly disclose its donors. But its affiliated political action committee, the Michigan Freedom Network (MFN), does. From 2017-19, MFN has been almost entirely financed by members of the DeVos family, according to state campaign finance records. Several DeVos family members combined to give the group $255,000, or 98 percent of the MFN's contribution revenue during that time.Another roughly $3,900 came from the PAC arm of the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP), a trio of nonprofits that the DeVoses created in 2001 to advance school privatization by funding other nonprofit groups and state lawmakers' campaigns. GLEP has spent millions of dollars from the DeVoses "essentially buying policy outcomes that have helped Michigan’s charter industry grow while shielding it from accountability," according to The Washington Post.GLEP's PAC reimbursed MFN for "shared staff time" in December 2019, indicating that the two groups have overlapping employees. Like MFN, the GLEP PAC appears to be almost entirely funded by the DeVoses.Greg McNeilly, a business associate of Betsy DeVos's husband, Dick DeVos, and a former spokesperson for the family, is chairman of MFF. The group has in the past campaigned for anti-union "Right to Work" laws. The fund lobbies the state, having spent nearly $16,000 on lobbying in 2019.MFF is attempting to profit from the political unrest it helped create by asking its Facebook followers to "send Governor Whitmer a message" by purchasing its "Freedom Is Essential" T-shirts.The Michigan Conservative Coalition, which organized the protest with MFF, is a far-right conservative group that posted an image of Donald Trump holding a baby Pepe the Frog, a meme popularized by the racist "alt-right," on its Facebook page in 2016. The next year, the group posted an image that mocked the idea of white privilege, writing, "Race-based privilege is another liberal scam to beat you down so you are more easy to control!"The Michigan Conservative Coalition's website complains about Lt. Gov. Dana Nessel's creation of a unit to prosecute hate crimes.The protest, which drew more than 3,000 people, attracted an even more extreme group, the Proud Boys, a violent gang that the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies as a "general hate group." At the protest, Proud Boys members allegedly blocked the entrance to a Lansing hospital. "A doctor came out of the hospital to plead with them to let the ambulances through," tweeted Chad Loder, founder of Masks for Docs, a volunteer group that collects protective equipment for medical professionals.The city's public transit system was temporarily disrupted by Operation Gridlock on Wednesday afternoon. "CATA is unable to accommodate life-sustaining and medically necessary trips to or from these areas," it tweeted.Several protesters flew Confederate flags, including one that included a superimposed image of an assault rifle. According to the Michigan Advance, the protest turned into a "Trump celebration with Confederate flags and guns." Some protesters sported Nazi swastika tattoos.The Michigan Militia, an extremist group with racist ties, also attended with their firearms. Members attended the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, and Oklahoma city terrorist and white nationalist Timothy McVeigh attended Michigan Militia meetings in the 1990s.Many of the protesters disobeyed city guidance and left their cars to congregate on the streets and the Capitol lawn. Most didn’t wear face masks and did not stand six feet apart, according to the Michigan Advance.

Actions in Other States

Conservatives in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio also held protests this week.Erika Calihan, an ally of former Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, led roughly 100 people in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Wednesday, protesting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's order that closed most businesses. Bevin appointed Calihan to a judicial nominating commission for the Kentucky Court of Appeals and Kentucky Supreme Court last year. Also in 2019, Calihan disputed the results of the election that Bevin lost, leading a group called Citizens for Election Integrity and making easily debunked claims of voter fraud.Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican lawmakers overturned the governor's veto of a bill requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID yesterday at a time when the ID-issuing offices are closed due to COVID-19.On Monday, a similar protest took place at the Ohio Statehouse as some Republican state lawmakers called on GOP Gov. Mike DeWine to cancel coronavirus-related restrictions in May. Protesters were photographed standing very close together and not wearing masks.Conservative groups including Ohio Stands United organized the protest and are planning more for Friday, Saturday, and next Monday. The Facebook event page calls on participants to fly the Gadsen flag, which the right-wing Tea Party re-popularized. Tea Party groups, a pro-gun group, and a group called "MAGA Ohio Family Trump Day" are helping organize the events. Ohio Stands United, which claims to have dozens of local chapters and 58,000 members, has been involved in efforts against gun control.Protesters rallied on Tuesday against Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who has imposed coronavirus-related restrictions on his state. Private Facebook group ReopenNC organized the event. Police arrested one participant as protesters said "they doubt the extent of the virus' danger, describing testing as inaccurate and causes of death suspicious," according to the Raleigh News & Observer. Reopen NC plans to hold weekly protests until Cooper lifts his stay-at-home order.Another private Facebook group, Reopen Virginia, is "a hive of conspiracy theories and anti-government sentiment," according to extremism reporter Jared Holt.

[size=34]Trump demands Harvard return $8.6M grant from $2.3 trillion stimulus but Ivy League college vows to KEEP it, as Steve Mnuchin warns big business to give bailout cash back now[/size]

President Trump said Tuesday that Harvard University would be paying back the $8.6 million in taxpayer fund the school planned to take from the bailout fund

The university said it received the grant through the educational relief program that was part of the $2.3 trillion stimulus passed at the end of March

'They shouldn't be taking it,' Trump had said at the White House, pointing to the Ivy League school's enormous endowment

But Harvard hit back, saying it plans to keep an $8.6 million grant it received

Trump followed up, tweeting late Tuesday evening: 'Harvard should give back the money now. Their whole “endowment” system should be looked at!'

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin applauded Shake Shack for giving back funds that were supposed to go to small businesses

'The intent of this money was not for big public companies that have access to capital,' Mnuchin said of the Paycheck Protection Program

Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID

By NIKKI SCHWAB, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and JACK ELSOM FOR MAILONLINEPUBLISHED: 18:36 EDT, 21 April 2020 | UPDATED: 02:04 EDT, 22 April 2020

Donald Trump late on Tuesday demanded Harvard University give back an $8.6 million grant it received as part of a stimulus package amid coronavirus.The stand off came amid outrage that well off institutions and companies were taking advantage of the government's $2.3 trillion stimulus, passed at the end of March, despite having reserves of their own. The president tweeted after the Ivy League school defied his earlier order, saying it plans to keep an $8.6 million grant it received as part of an educational relief program - despite having an eye-watering $40.9 billion endowment It has also emerged that businesses employing thousands of workers have been awarded grants under the Paycheck Protection Program, was supposed to infuse small businesses with $349 billion in emergency loans.Large restaurants chains like Potbelly, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Taco Cabana were able to qualify despite employing thousands of workers, getting the maximum $10 million in loans. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has demanded the cash is returned.

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President Trump said Tuesday that Harvard University would not be getting taxpayer money, citing the Ivy League school's enormous endowment Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the president demanded the Ivy League school give taxpayer funds back, citing their massive endowment.'Harvard is going to pay back the money and they shouldn't be taking it,' Trump said, adding that Harvard has one of the largest endowments 'in the country, maybe in the world.'But in a statement issued moments after the briefing ended Harvard said it planned 'to direct 100 per cent of the funds to financial assistance to students, and will not be using any of the funds to cover institutional costs.'The university said it received the grant through the educational relief program that was part of the $2.3 trillion stimulus passed at the end of March, which also included a much larger fund aimed at helping small businesses. Trump then tweeted late on Tuesday, pledging to look at their endowment system. He wrote: 'Harvard should give back the money now. Their whole “endowment” system should be looked at!' The president said during the daily press briefing: 'They shouldn't be taking it. They have one of the largest endowments anywhere in the history of the country, maybe the world I guess. They're going to pay back that money.'

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Donald Trump late on Tuesday demanded Harvard University give back an $8.6 million grant it received as part of a stimulus package amid coronavirus

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Harvard, which easily out-guns the other schools with its eye-watering $40.9billion endowment was planning to take $8.6million[size=10][size=18]Trump says Harvard must pay back bailout fund money

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Harvard, which planned to utilize $8.6 million of taxpayer funds doled out as part of the CARES Act, is among a number of elite American universities taking advantage of $14 billion allocated to higher education institutions to weather the economic downturn associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Mnuchin, who was speaking from the podium when Trump inserted that he would request the money back, said that other big businesses would be asked to give money back too. 'The intent of this money was not for big public companies that have access to capital,' Mnuchin said. He praised the restaurant chain Shake Shack for giving money from the Paycheck Protection Program back. College and universities are facing financial hardship because students have been sent home, and while they may be taking classes remotely, the schools risk not bringing in the totality of tuition fees. A spokesman for Harvard clarified that the university did not apply for PPP funds, the pot of money Mnuchin was referring to when Trump jumped in and brought up Harvard. 'Harvard did not apply for, nor has it received any funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Reports saying otherwise are inaccurate,' a spokesmans said. 'President Trump is right that it would not have been appropriate for our institution to receive funds that were designated for struggling small businesses.''Like most colleges and universities, Harvard has been allocated funds as part of the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Harvard has committed that 100% of these emergency higher education funds will be used to provide direct assistance to students facing urgent financial needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,' the spokesman added. Of the top private schools, Cornell and Columbia will receive the most at $12.8million each.Cornell, based in Ithaca in upstate New York, has an endowment of $7.3billion, while New York City-based Columbia boasts $10.9billion.The University of Pennsylvania, which is Trump's alma mater, will receive $9.9million despite having a $14.7billion endowment. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, also blasted Harvard for taking the money, pointing to the school's mammoth money bin. The one-time Republican presidential contender tweeted: 'This is ridiculous. Taxpayer relief funds should go to those in real need. 'Harvard University has a $41bn endowment—the largest in the world. Put another way, Harvard's endowment is $13mm per student, or $171mm per faculty member.'

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Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin applauded Shake Shack for giving back funds that were supposed to be for small businesses

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'The intent of this money was not for big public companies that have access to capital,' Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said to reporters TuesdayThe university insisted it was using federal funding for 'financial assistance for students to meet their urgent needs in the face of this pandemic'.Harvard, which is one of the top universities in the world and boasts eight presidents among its alumni, spelled out how it would spend its bailout.A spokesman for the Massachusetts-based school said: 'Financial assistance will be on top of the significant support the University has already provided to students – including assistance with travel, providing direct aid for living expenses to those with need, and supporting students' transition to online education.'Yale, the second largest Ivy Leave school, will receive $6.8million and has an endowment of $30.3billion.

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Texas senator Ted Cruz has blasted the university for taking the money, pointing to its mammoth endowment chest

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Yale, the second largest Ivy Leave school, will receive $6.8million and has an endowment of $30.3billion

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University of Pennsylvania will receive $9.9billion despite having a $14.7billion endowment

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Cornell, based in Ithaca in upstate New York, has an endowment of $7.3billion and will receive $12.8million

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New York City-based Columbia boasts $10.9billion endowment and will receive $12.8million bailoutBrown university, which has $4.2billion endowment, is being bolstered by $4.8 million.A bailout of $3.4million is being directed towards Dartmouth College, which has an endowment of $5.7billion.The smallest bailout for Ivy League schools is being sent to $26billion-endowed Princeton, which will receive $2.4million. The $2trillion Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) injected $14billion into the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.Institutions were granted these funds based on a formula which combines the number students receiving federal financial aid and the overall number of students enrolled.At least half of the funding is mandated to be used as financial grants for students, with the remainder to be put towards compensating university losses. Joel Malina, Vice President for University Relations, at Cornell, said: 'Cornell will use 100 per cent of these CARES Act funds to support students, going beyond the federal requirement that half of the funds be put towards emergency financial assistance to our students. 'We know that many of our students will have increased need as a result of the pandemic. 'Even as our Ithaca campus faces an anticipated Covid-related budget shortfall of over $100 million for the coming fiscal year, we aim to guarantee that every single one, currently enrolled or newly admitted, has the financial resources to complete their Cornell education.'MailOnline has contacted each Ivy League school for comment. [size=18]House officially passes $2 trillion coronavirus bailout bill

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Greed and gluttony: Huge restaurant chains including Potbelly, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and Taco Cabana pocket $300MILLION in federal relief loans meant to help struggling small businessesBy Keith Griffith For Dailymail.comCompanies with thousands of employees, past penalties from government investigations and risks of financial failure even before the coronavirus walloped the economy were among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund that Congress created to help small businesses through the crisis, according to a new analysis.The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to infuse small businesses with $349 billion in emergency loans that could help keep workers on the job and bills paid on time. But at least 75 companies that received the aid were publicly traded, the AP found, and some had market values well over $100 million.The program was designed for companies with less than 500 employees, but restaurants and hotels were exempt from that limit if they had less than 500 employees per location.The owners behind large restaurants chains like Potbelly, Ruth's Chris Steak House and Taco Cabana were able to qualify despite employing thousands of workers and get the maximum $10 million in loans. Shake Shack, after revealing it had been granted a $10 million loan in a regulatory filing on Friday, announced Sunday that it would return the money after facing public backlash.

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Huge companies with thousands of employees are among those receiving millions of dollars from a relief fund

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A Potbelly Sandwich Shop is seen in Detroit's airport in a file photo. The company received the maximum $10 million federal loan under the Paycheck Protection Program[size=18]Trump says businesses will have to give back 'inappropriate' funds

Loa[/size]Funding for the PPP ran out last week, but on Tuesday Democrats and Republicans in Congress reportedly reached a deal to add $310 billion in small-business loans.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer claimed that of that funding, $125 billion will be sent 'exclusively to the unbanked, to the minorities, to the rural areas, and to all of those little mom and pop stores that don't have a good banking connection and need the help.' Overall, 25 percent of the public companies identified in the AP analysis as receiving PPP funds had warned investors months ago - while the economy was humming along - that their ability to remain viable was in question.

By combing through thousands of regulatory filings, the analysis identified the 75 companies as recipients of a combined $300 million in low-interest, taxpayer-backed loans.Eight companies, or their subsidiaries, received the maximum $10 million. The size of the typical loan nationally was $206,000, according to U.S. Small Business Administration statistics. If companies meet benchmarks such as keeping employees on payroll for eight weeks, the SBA will forgive the loans.The public companies identified in the analysis is a fraction of the 1.6 million loans that banks approved before the program was depleted last week, but it is the most complete public accounting to date. Lawmakers from both political parties are negotiating an additional relief package that in large part would replenish the Paycheck Protection Program.Representatives of the SBA did not respond to a request for comment late Monday. Last Friday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a written statement that 74% of the loans were for less than $150,000, demonstrating 'the accessibility of this program to even the smallest of small businesses.'The review also found examples of companies that had foreign owners and that were delisted from U.S. stock exchanges, or threatened with removal, because of their poor performance. Other companies had annual losses for years.Since launching April 3, the relief package has faced criticism about slow loan processing, unclear rules and limited funding that left many mom-and-pop businesses without help.By design, the Paycheck Protection Program was meant to get money out quickly to as many small businesses as possible, using a formula based in part on payroll size. Some other big companies that received loans appeared to have enough cash on hand to survive the economic downturn. New York City-based Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, for example, a travel company with 650 workers and a branding deal with National Geographic, got a $6.6 million loan. At the end of March, the business reported having about $137 million in cash on its balance sheet.'When this crisis hit, we had two business planning cases: 1) substantial layoffs and furloughs or 2) receiving these funds and not impacting our employees,' spokeswoman Audrey Chang wrote in an email. 'Lindblad is the very rare travel company that has not imposed any layoffs, furloughs or salary reductions to date.'

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A steak is seen at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The chain was among the public companies that received the maximum $10 million loan under the Paycheck Protection ProgramFive of the companies AP identified were previously under investigation by financial and other regulators, including firms that paid penalties to resolve allegations.Quantum Corp., a data storage company based in San Jose, California, that has a workforce of 800, paid a $1 million penalty last December over allegations that accounting errors resulted in overstated revenues. Quantum received a maximum $10 million loan.

What is the small-business relief program?

The Paycheck Protection Program exhausted its $350 billion in funding last week and many small businesses were unable to obtain loans they desperately need to stay afloat. Congress and the White House say they're close to an agreement on that would give the program about $300 billion in fresh funds.The government program, which is overseen by the Treasury and administered by the Small Business Administration, limits loan recipients to businesses with fewer than 500 employees and revenue of less than $2.5 billion. But it makes an exception for restaurants and other food service businesses that employ fewer than 500 people per location, meaning that restaurant chains are as eligible for the loans as a neighborhood restaurant or bar. The small business lending program is part of the $2.2 trillion rescue package approved by Congress last month.

Without that loan, 'we would most certainly be forced to reduce headcount. We owe it to our employees - who've stuck with us through a long and difficult turnaround - to do everything we can to save their jobs during this crisis,' company spokesman Bob Wientzen wrote in an email.Broadwind Energy, a suburban Chicago maker of wind turbines that employs about 520, agreed to pay a $1 million penalty five years ago after the SEC accused it of failing to inform investors that reduced business from two major customers had caused 'substantial declines' in its long-term financial prospects. Broadwind, which could not be immediately reached, received $9.5 million from the loan program.Marrone Bio Innovations, a biopesticide company in Davis, California, that has about 50 workers, similarly agreed to pay $1.8 million in 2016 after the SEC alleged its chief operating officer had inflated financial results to hit projections that it would double revenues during its first year as a public company. Marrone received a loan worth $1.7 million.Pam Marrone, the chief executive, said the company 'shouldn't be punished' for what happened with the SEC because it has had clean audits for years now. She described the investigation as a 'body blow' that cost it investors and drove its stock price under $1. She said it has had to take on $40 million in debt and is still digging itself out of the financial hole.'People don't realize how tough it is to be a small public company like us that's not yet profitable,' she said. 'We can't just go to investors and say, 'OK, open up your wallets.' 'The AP analysis found that about 1 in 4 of the companies had warned investors months ago that they or their auditors had significant doubts about their ability to meet financial obligations.One was Enservco Corp., a Denver-based oil and gas industry firm. In its annual report filed last month, Enservco said it does 'not generate adequate revenue to fund our current operations.'Chief executive Ian Dickinson said his company wouldn't have folded without the $1.9 million loan it received. But, he said, he welcomed the money and would've had to let go more employees than he already has without it.'Our employees are really no different than the employees of a nonpublic company,' Dickinson said. 'These are funds being used to keep folks on payroll and keep food on their tables.'

[size=34]Are you sure, Mr. President? Donald Trump doubles down on claim that anti-lockdown protesters are 'social distancing' in face of evidence they are not as he dismisses CDC chief calling them 'unhelpful' saying 'they want their lives back'[/size]

'I've watched some of the protests and they're separated, a lot of space in between', Trump said Tuesday

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of North Carolina, Missouri, Alabama and Florida to demand governors bring an end to coronavirus lockdown rules and reopen the states for business Tuesday

The president had last week supported the protesters, calling them 'very responsible people'; he said Sunday that he saw protesters that looked to be adhering to the measures and standing six feet apart

Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted that anti-lockdown protesters are social distancing, despite clear evidence to the contrary, as he dismissed the CDC chief for calling them 'unhelpful', arguing that 'they want their lives back'. The president told reporters at his daily briefing: 'I've watched some of the protests, not in great detail, but I've seen that and they're separated, a lot of space in between.' Thousands of protesters took to the streets of North Carolina, Missouri, Alabama and Florida to demand governors bring an end to coronavirus lockdown rules and reopen the states for business on Tuesday. They were pictured standing close by to one another, disregarding the social distancing rules that health experts insist are critical to saving lives amid the deadly outbreak. Trump said: 'They're watching, believe it or not, they're doing social distancing, if you can believe it and they are. And they're protesting and the groups I've seen have been very much spread out so I think that's good.'The president had last week supported the protesters, calling them 'very responsible people'. He said Sunday that he saw protesters that looked to adhering to the measures and standing six feet apart. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Tuesday a second wave of coronavirus next winter could be 'even more difficult'. Robert Redfield warned the 'assault on our nation' could potentially be 'even more difficult than the one we just went through'. He labeled anti lockdown protests as 'not helpful'. But the president hit back, saying: 'Look, it's not a question of helpful or not, people want to get back to work, they want to make a living. They have to take care of their family. They don't want to do this.'It's unfortunate, but you have a lot of people that are anxious to get back. We have to build back our country. People have really been through a lot.' Of a second wave Trump said: 'I really believe we will be able to put out the fires. It's like fires. And we've learned a lot.' +25

Donald Trump, pictured, on Tuesday insisted that anti-lockdown protesters are social distancing despite clear evidence to the contrary, as he dismissed the CDC chief for calling them 'unhelpful', arguing that 'they want their lives back'+25

People hold up signs saying 'Fauci is corrupt', 'Enough is enough' and 'A man chooses, a slave obeys' [size=10][size=18]Trump says anti-lockdown protesters are 'doing social distancing'

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Raleigh, North Carolina: Police bikes are seen at the front of crowds in Raleigh. Hundreds are packed into the roads, with social distancing totally disregarded+25

Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets for a second week in a row to demand Governor Roy Cooper brings an end to the state's coronavirus lockdown rules and reopens the state for business[size=18]Protesters continue to rage against lockdown in North Carolina

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Trump sparked anger from Democrat governors Friday when he made a series of Tweets calling for liberation for states - one day after he said he would leave the decision to reopen states in the hands of individual governors. He tweeted 'Liberate Minnesota' Friday before following it up with similar tweets for Michigan and Virginia.All three states that Trump singled out have Democratic governors - and are potentially swing states in the 2020 election. Trump last week gave the nation's governors his roadmap for how the US can reopen businesses and schools shut down by the coronavirus. Protesters marched on downtown Raleigh in North Carolina throughout the day, gathering outside the General Assembly from 11am and filling Lane Street. The ReOpenNC protest began just minutes after the state announced that another 34 people have been killed by coronavirus, marking the deadliest day North Carolina has so far seen during the pandemic. This marked the second week of protests in North Carolina, with Tuesday's event drawing a larger crowd of around 1,000 at its peak and political leaders joining in. Protesters were seen flouting social distancing altogether Tuesday, with people packing much closer together than the six feet guidelines and ignoring health warnings to wear masks. Governor Roy Cooper earlier said residents have a right to protest after State Capitol Police arrested a woman at last week's march. But he said protesters must practice social distancing while doing so in line with his executive order.

Instead of protective gear, many carried Trump 2020 paraphernalia including hats, flags, and T-shirts as well as merchandise promoting Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who has been eyeing the state governor's job.Others held signs accusing Dr Anthony Fauci, the government's infectious disease expert, 'corrupt'. Others said: 'No Fauci, No Gates, No Fear'. Some organizers claimed the protest was bipartisan but the sea of Republican and 'MAGA' propaganda - along with shouts against Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi - suggested the crowd was predominantly right-wing. One sign read: 'Investigate COVID and 5G'. Conspiracy theorists have wrongly speculated that the 5G mobile network created the virus. The death toll in the U.S. stood at more than 44,000 Tuesday evening — the highest in the world — with more than 800,000 confirmed infections. The true figures are believed to be much higher, in part because of limited testing and difficulties in counting the dead.

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Protesters marched on downtown Raleigh throughout the day, gathering outside the General Assembly from 11a.m. and filling Lane Street+25

This marked the second week of protests in North Carolina, with Tuesday's event drawing a larger crowd of around 1,000 at its peak and political leaders joining in[size=18]Back to work protests across US as lockdown unrest spreads

L[/size]Republican Representative Dan Bishop of North Carolina's Ninth Dibstrict was pictured in the crowd wearing a mask, which he sometimes removed, while carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer and copies of the Constitution. 'I'm definitely going to deliver this to Roy Cooper because he's forgotten what it's about,' Bishop told The News & Observer. Protesters are demanding the state lockdown comes to an end, claiming it takes away their liberty and that businesses are being damaged beyond repair. +25

Governor Cooper earlier said residents have a right to protest but they must practice social distancing while doing so in line with his executive order. But protesters were seen flouting social distancing altogether, with people packing much closer together than the six feet guidelines and most ignoring health warnings to wear masks+25

Protesters hold up banners with slogans including 'No mandatory vaccines', 'Reopen NC!!' and 'Freedoms are essential'They held up banners with slogans including 'Freedoms are essential', 'Rights are not an option' and 'Everyone here knows the truth except the Democrats!'Other signs read: 'Enough is enough' and 'A man chooses, a slave obeys'. Cars with 'Make America Safe Again! Trump 2020' rode down the streets blasting horns and drivers shouted from their open windows. Some passengers seemed to be enjoying themselves with a woman pictured beaming as she stuck her head out of a car sunroof and gave a thumbs up to the crowds.Many marchers brought their children along - also without face masks, placing them at risk of exposure to the virus. One woman who said her family's roofing business has been hard-hit due to mass closures had brought her four young children along to the protest.She told The News & Observer that she was leaving it up to God if her family contracted the killer virus. 'Our faith is in God,' said Tabitha Dawes. 'If we get it, we get it.' A group of healthcare workers gathered in their scrubs to counter-protest the calls for re-opening, with one pharmacist telling The News & Observer they were 'very concerned' that the outbreak could worsen if the state reopens too soon. 'I'm very concerned that we're opening North Carolina too early,' said Nicholas Blanchard. 'I'm here to try and get people to understand that this is a problem. I want people to follow the science and not their emotions.' +25

Protesters are demanding the state lockdown comes to an end, claiming it takes away their liberty and that businesses are being damaged beyond repair+25

Instead of protective gear, many carried Trump 2020 paraphernalia including hats, flags, and T-shirts as well as merchandise promoting Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, who has been eyeing the state governor's job +25

Some organizers claimed the protest was bipartisan but the sea of Republican and 'MAGA' propaganda - along with shouts against Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi - suggested the crowd was predominantly right-wingAs demonstrators flocked to the streets demanding it is time to reopen the state, official figures suggest North Carolina may not be out of the woods yet. Its death toll rose by another 34 people Tuesday morning taking the total to 235, and marking the deadliest day North Carolina has so far seen during the pandemic. Confirmed cases reached 7,099 after another 187 also tested positive for the infection. Cooper said in a press conference in the afternoon that he understood people were 'frustrated' with the lockdown but that the measures to slow the spread of the virus have been working.'I know that many people are frustrated, restless, anxious, and eager to get back to work and school. I also know that many people want to make sure that their families are as safe as possible from this virus,' he said. Under mounting pressure from people wanting to get back to work, Cooper also issued a new executive order Tuesday to help people out of jobs due to the pandemic.Under the new order, furloughed workers will now be able to claim unemployment benefits. +25

One man holds up a banner saying 'Let us out' amid swathes of people packed in together in Raleigh +25

A group of healthcare workers gathered in their scrubs to counter-protest the calls for re-opening+25

One pharmacist told The News & Observer they were 'very concerned' that the outbreak could worsen if the state reopens too soon. Counter-protesters stand as people with ReopenNC demonstrate in Raleigh, N.C., to press Gov. Roy Cooper to allow businesses to reopen during the COVID-19 outbreakProtests also took place in Missouri and Alabama Tuesday with crowds descending on the governors' official residences to push back against lockdown. Crowds flooded an area in Jefferson City, Missouri, and marched past Governor Mike Parson's mansion to protest against his stay-at-home order. The Reopen Missouri protesters are calling for 'everyone over 70 and anyone with serious underlying health conditions to hunker down more than they have been,' while healthy individuals should return to work, the group's Facebook page states. Over in Alabama, a group called Stand Up Alabama led a car rally called 'Operation Back to Work' demanding businesses are allowed to get back up and running. The uproar comes as Governor Kay Ivey said she intends to keep the stay-at-home order in place through April 30, striking a more measured approach while some Southern states push to quickly reopen. +25

The protest was set up by grassroots organization Reopen NC and aims to put pressure on Governor Cooper+25

Police officers wear masks during Tuesday's protest. As demonstrations ramp up, they signify a growing sentiment among aggrieved workers that the country must resume its economic activity sooner rather than laterProtesters planned to drive vehicles along a designated route, but Tuesday morning Montgomery Police Captain Regina Duckett ordered the closure of some streets to prevent the move. Instead, some were pictured riding horseback through Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery. Similar protests have taken place across the US over the last week, largely in Republican states and egged on by President Trump. Tennessee, Oregon, Illinois, California, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado and Washington State have all seen demonstrations from protesters demanding an end to state shutdowns. In Colorado, on Sunday, demonstrators flocked to the state Capitol in their hundreds to urge Governor Jared Polis to lift stay-at-home orders. Titled 'Operation Gridlock', the day's largest demonstration took place in Denver, where protesters waved flags with slogans such as 'Your 'health' does not supersede my right', 'Freedom over fear', and 'I would rather risk coronavirus than socialism' after being summoned on social media. +25

One person's sign says 'I need a haircut' as people - in Trump merchandise and American flags - demand businesses reopen A video captured a woman hurling racists remarks at a nurse counter-protesting the march. 'This is a free country. Land of the free,' she yelled at him, pulling out a homemade poster displaying those very words. 'Go to China if you want communism. Go to China.' By Monday morning, the video had gone viral on social media and 'Go to China' was trending on Twitter in the US as users expressed disgust over the woman's remarks. This followed scenes in Minnesota where around 400 people descended on Governor Tim Walz's St. Paul residence Thursday and Friday. Walz slammed the actions of protesters and urged them to social distance.'If they're protesting staying at home, they're protesting first responders too,' he said. As the protests expand across the nation, they signify a growing sentiment among aggrieved workers that the country must resume its economic activity sooner rather than later - even in spite of the fact that US coronavirus deaths and infections continue to mount. +25

North Carolina residents march through the streets as Governor Cooper announced new efforts to support people furloughed during the pandemic +25

'A little rebellion now and then is a good thing' read one woman's banner while another held a mini book of the Constitution+25

People hold signs as they walk past the governor's mansion in Jefferson City, Missouri, Tuesday - with very few wearing face masks +25

Jacksonville, Florida: A group of people gathered at the Duval County Courthouse to rally for re-opening parts of Florida and the country that have been closed because of the coronavirus Tuesday+25

Susan Callahan, a nurse, gathered with a group of people at the Duval County Courthouse to rally for re-opening parts of Florida and the country that have been closed because of the coronavirus+25

A group of people gathered at the Duval County Courthouse to rally for re-opening parts of Florida and the country that have been closed because of the coronavirus TuesdayHeath experts and governors have continuously warned that reopening states too soon could lead to higher fatalities and renewed outbreaks of the virus. But President Trump has repeatedly encouraged protesters, even praising their actions during his Sunday White House briefing. 'I've seen the people. I've seen interviews of the people. These are great people, Trump said. 'They've got cabin fever. They want their lives back.' The president rejected the assertion that he was inciting violence with his words of encouragement, as one reporter pointed out that governors around the country were seeing an uptick in death threats. 'No, I am not. I've never seen so many American flags,' Trump said. 'These people love our country. They want to get back to work.' The new three-phase guidelines are aimed at easing restrictions in areas with low transmission of the coronavirus, while holding the line in harder-hit locations like New York. Some states including Texas, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee have started relaxing lockdown rules. Texas was the first state to begin reopening Monday. Georgia will reopen some businesses as early as Friday and Tennessee businesses can open again next week. +25

Montgomery, Alabama: Protesters ride horseback through Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, TuesdaySouth Carolina permitted some stores - including sporting goods shops and department stores - to reopen at 5pm Monday with social-distancing measures in place and beaches opening Tuesday. Some states, like hard-hit New York, had already committed this week to extending lockdown measures into at least mid-May prior to Trump's recommendations. About 95 percent of the country currently remains on some form of lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. Seven states - Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming - still have no stay-at-home orders in place for its residents. The US continues to be the epicenter of the pandemic, with over 820,000 cases and 45,000 deaths.

I really don't care anymore. Let these idiots go back to work - no masks, no gloves, no social distancing - just same old, same old back to normal. I hope they enjoy themselves while they still can. If they make it to November they can try to re-elect the moron. They can go drop dead for all I care - him first!

Annemarie - If the rest of us shelter in place and follow guidelines to avoid contact with others we should be fairly unaffected by what these idiots do. If someone in your immediate circle must go back to work, they need to take the same precautions that front line workers have been taking to keep their loved ones safe. It can be done.

A lot of these people will learn the hard way. They will get sick and some will die. Others may get sick and recover. Either way they will stick with Trump and insist that their freedom trumps health safety concerns. “Give me liberty and give me death” should be their motto. There is ignorance and arrogance wrapped up in a nice package with this new version of the Tea Party. I just hope that most of the governors don’t give in to this vocal but clear minority of idiots.

A historian recently described this crisis as the partisan pandemic. At least in America that seems to aptly describe what we’re experiencing.

Eric Baradat/Getty

The head of the Department of Health and Human Services tapped a 37-year-old former dog breeder with no public health experience to lead the government’s “day-to-day” response to the coronavirus to disastrous effect, Reuters reports. HHS Secretary Alex Azar chose Brian Harrison, who from 2012 to 2018 ran a company called Dallas Labradoodles that sold mixed dog breeds, to be his chief of staff in 2019 and later promoted him to coordinate the nation’s coronavirus task force. White House staff reportedly called Harrison “the dog breeder” behind his back. When convening the task force, Harrison initially excluded the Food and Drug Administration, leaving the White House in the dark on problems with coronavirus testing, likely exacerbating the government’s testing failures, according to Reuters. Vice President Mike Pence took over the task force in February. President Trump has voiced his displeasure with Azar on Twitter, tweeting “@SecAzar told me nothing until later” on April 12.Read it at Reuters

[size=34]Donald Trump ally Jim Jordan is rebuked for REFUSING to wear a mask as House votes on bailout package - and other presidential favorites boycott the safety measures too despite warning of being near vulnerable elderly members[/size]

Several lawmakers flouted new recommendations and did not wear face marks during Thursday's debate on the House floor

Several lawmakers flouted new recommendations and did not wear face marks during Thursday's debate on the House floor - disregarding guidelines meant to stop any spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. Capitol. Many lawmakers opened the day's session in accordance: Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts wore a New England Patriots mask when he spoke on the House floor. Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida opened the day's legislative session and Father Patrick Conroy wore a yellow mask when he offered the day's prayer.'Give us all patience, especially with one another,’ he prayed of this difficult time. 'These are days of great economic, social and political stress in our nation.'But others flaunted the guidelines: Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was seen on the House floor without a mask during a debate on the creation of special committee to oversee the trillions of dollars allocated for coronavirus relief.

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Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, a close ally of President Donald Trump, flaunted new recommendations and did not wear a mark on the House floor

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Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, wearing a Patriots mask, rebuked the rebels for not following new guidelines meant to protect lawmakers from coronavirus infection

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Speaker Nancy Pelosi wore a face scarf in the Capitol but she removed it to speak on the House floor

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Lawmakers practiced safe social distancing on the House floor, seats were marked with signs where they should not sit in order After Jordan spoke, McGovern, who is managing the floor debate for Democrats, reminded lawmakers of the new recommendations. 'While face coverings are not mandatory, there are certainly recommended. And the Office of the Attending Physician has also advised that a face covering will produce a minimum reduction in sound when using a microphone. The face covering is likely to be most useful in preventing a viral spread when a person is speaking. So people can do whatever they want to do,' he said.'I would say that while we are all trying to show how fearless we are, we should be mindful of the people surrounding us,' McGovern noted of the rebels. Many members of Congress are on the elderly side, which is an age group at higher risk if they get infected with the coronavirus. Some wore masks and others, like Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert, another Trump ally, did not. Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not wear a mask when she addressed lawmakers from the House floor. Although she wore one when she entered the Capitol and when she walked from her office to the House floor.Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said he would fall Pelosi's example and not wear a mask while he managed the floor debate for the GOP.'I'm going to follow her example. I think we should keep our mask on when we're doing our normal business but take them off when we're speaking and thank you for setting that example, Madam Speaker,' he said. Outside the House chamber a table was set up with face masks and gloves for lawmakers to take for their use. The debate came ahead of a vote on a fourth coronavirus rescue package.

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert speaks on the House floor without a mask while Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson wears one during his speech

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Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor wore a mask when she opened the House and Father Patrick Conroy, in the yellow mask, wore one during his opening prayer

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Signs were posted in the Capitol to help lawmakers obey social distancing guidelines

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wearing a white scarf as a face mask, arrives in the Capitol Thursday morning ahead of the day's vote

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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wears a mask as he heads to the House floor; reporters maintain their distance as they question himLawmakers were advised of new guidelines ahead of the vote, including being encouraged to quarantine themselves in their offices unless they are voting. Seats were marked with signs were lawmakers could sit in order to spread them out on the House floor. Outside the House chamber, signs were set up for members to line up six feet apart - in accordance with social distancing guidelines - as they waited to enter the House floor. And lawmakers were asked to take the stairs to the House chamber, which sits on the second floor of the Capitol, instead of using the elevators, which typically get crowded with lawmakers as they rush to the floor to vote.Not all members of Congress will make the trip to Washington D.C. Many House members are elderly and in the high-risk group of infection for the virus. Earlier this week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he expected half of the lawmakers to make the trip.Any lawmaker showing any symptoms are being asked to stay away.'Members who are ill with respiratory symptoms or fever are strongly discouraged from attending the session,' House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and House Attending Physician Brian P. Monahan wrote in a three-page memo on the new safety rules sent to lawmakers Wednesday night.In order to cut down on congestion during the vote – with 435 members of Congress the House floor gets packed during votes, making social distancing impossible – the voting time will be held open for up to two hours, with lawmakers assigned shifts to vote based on their last name.

That will put about 60 lawmakers voting during each 10-minute time block. They are being encouraged to vote and leave instead of staying to chat with one another as is normal procedure in the House.Hand sanitizers have been placed around the entrances to the House floor and lawmakers are asked to use them before coming into the chamber and when they leave.Additionally, there will be a 30 minute break between votes so the House chamber can be cleaned.Staff from Irving and Monahan's offices will be watching the House floor to make sure lawmakers are in line with the new rules.'Please note that throughout voting, we will monitor the number of Members on the Floor to ensure we maintain safe social distancing,' they wrote in their memo.Lawmakers are voting Thursday on a fourth coronavirus relief package after the Senate passed it on Tuesday. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the $484 billion measure designed to give more relief to small businesses. Several lawmakers took to Twitter to document their return to the Capitol.Rep. Rashida Tlaib posted a video of fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell at the airport wearing a mask and gloves while showing off her supply of hand sanitizer. [size=18]Debbie Dingell shows array of COVID protection on way to Congress

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Democratic Rep. Don Beyer presided over the House last week while wearing a mask

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During the last House vote at the end of March, lawmakers spread out on the House floor and sat in the galleries above the chamber to keep to social distancing guidelinesMissing from Thursday's floor action will be a proposal to allow proxy voting in the House and virtual committee hearings. Democrats had proposed the new rules - to allow Congress to stay in business during the coronavirus pandemic - but Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled the measure after objections from House Republicans. On Wednesday, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking her to come up with a plan to reopen the House for business.He also questioned her for details about the proposed proxy voting measure.'It has been reported that Chairman McGovern is recommending a House rules change to allow for 'voting by proxy' during this period. What are the details of this proposal, how will it avoid potential abuses of power, and when do you expect this proposal to be made public for the necessary scrutiny and member input that changing 200 years of House precedent would merit?,' McCarthy wrote to her.In response, Pelosi and McCarthy have agreed to form a bipartisan group of lawmakers to examine ways lawmakers could work remotely and reopen the House.Pelosi has indicated she wants bipartisan support for whatever measure is ultimately voted on given it affects all members of the House. Additionally, lawmakers will also vote Thursday to establish a select coronavirus oversight committee, which Pelosi said will be chaired by Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.Republicans are expected to vote against the commission, which they say is being used as a political weapon against the president. It is expected to be approved, however, given Democratic control of the House. The House last met at the end of March, where lawmakers approved a a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package that resulted in individual checks being sent to Americans, loans going to small businesses and aid for industries hard hit by the disease.That vote saw lawmakers adhere to social distancing guidelines.

[size=34]Furious Donald Trump throws tantrum after CDC boss directly contradicts him at White House press conference - after President claimed second wave danger was 'fake news' and that coronavirus 'might not come back at all'[/size]

President Donald Trump brought CDC Director Robert Redfield to the White House podium to repudiate an interview he gave to The Washington Post

President Donald Trump on Wednesday raged about the coverage of CDC Director Robert Redfield's interview with The Washington Post, where the medical expert warned about the dangers of a second wave of the coronavirus.Trump brought Redfield to the White House podium to repudiate the interview only for the CDC director to confirm the newspaper correctly quoted his warning.The farce took place at the daily White House press briefing on the coronavirus and was sparked by Redfield telling The Washington Post that a second wave of the coronavirus this winter, combined with flu season, 'will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through.'The newspaper ran the interview under the headline: 'CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating.' Trump was furious at the coverage of Redfield's comments - several news outlets, including DailyMail.com, wrote stories on the CDC director's warning - calling the articles 'inaccurate.' He snapped at reporters who asked about the warning and whether Redfield was accurately quoted.[size=10][size=18]President Trump says media totally misquoted CDC Director

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President Donald Trump brought CDC Director Robert Redfield to the White House podium to repudiate an interview he gave to The Washington Post

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Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Washington Post accurately quoted him in their interview but said the headline on the story was 'inappropriate'

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President Donald Trump was visibly angry at the media coverage of Redfield's remarksThe president brought Redfield before the White House press corp to explain what he said in the interview, only for the CDC director to confirm he was accurately quoted. Redfield did say the headline on the Post's story was 'inappropriate.''I think it's really important to emphasize what I didn't say,' Redfield said. 'I didn't say this was going to be worse, I said it was going to be more difficult and potentially complicated because we'll have flu and coronavirus circulating at the same time.'Trump then jumped in to complain his CDC director was misquoted.'He was totally misquoted. He said they could come together, they didn't talk about that and his whole purpose in making the statement was to get a flu shot so that next fall, we don't have such a big season of flu and we possibly won't,' the president said. Redfield went on to clarify what he said in his interview with The Post, which was also essentially what he told the newspaper. 'Next fall and winter, we are going to have two viruses circulating and we are going to have to distinguish between which is flu and which is coronavirus - the spirit of the comment that I made is more difficult. It doesn't mean it's impossible, it doesn't mean it's going to be worse, it's just going to be more difficult because we have to distinguish between the two,' he said.Redfield's warning in the interview with The Post was clear and essentially what he said in the briefing.'There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,' he told the newspaper. 'And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean.''We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,' is what he told The Post.

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CDC director Robert Redfield said he was warning the winter could be difficult if a second wave of coronavirus and the flu season hit at the same time

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President Donald Trump said the coronavirus may not come back at all

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But Dr. Anthony Fauci repudiated what President Trump said, saying he was 'convinced' the coronavirus would come back this fallABC's Jonathan Karl asked Redfield at the White House briefing if he was accurately quoted. 'I'm accurately quoted in The Washington Post as difficult, but the headline was inappropriate,' Redfield said.Karl read the headline: 'The headline says CDC director warned second wave of coronavirus is likely to be even more devastating.' President Trump stepped to say: 'That's not what he said.'Another reporter asked Redfield why he retweeted The Washington Post article.'You weren't called on,' Trump told the reporter. The president then took the podium back to declare the coronavirus may not come back this winter.'It might not come back at all. He's talking about a worst-case scenario where you have a big flu and you have some Corona,' Trump said.He added if it did return 'it's not going to be like it was. We have much better containment now, before nobody knew about it. Now if we have a little pocket here, we're going to have it put out, we're going to put it out fast. It's also possible it doesn't come back at all.'

But Dr. Anthony Fauci repudiated what Trump said, saying he was 'convinced' the coronavirus would come back this fall. 'What Dr. Redfield was saying, first of all, is that we will have coronavirus in the fall. I am convinced of that,' he said during his turn at the podium.'What happens with that will depend on how we are able to contain it when it occurs. What we are saying is that in the fall, we will be much, much better prepared to do the kind of containment compared to what happened to us this winter,' he noted.He added that 'it's going to get complicated by the influenza season. I believe that's what Dr. Redfield was saying. It's going to be complicated. So whether or not it's going to be big or small is going to depend on our response. And that's what I think people sometimes have misunderstanding. Nobody can predict what is going to happen within outbreak, but you can predict how you're going to respond to it.'The White House was quick to react after The Post published its interview with Redfield, complaining his quotes were misinterpreted.New White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said he was advising people to get a flu shot. 'I was on the phone with him just before I walked out here. The main stream media has been taking him out of context as they so often do with Trump administration officials. What he was trying to say was this: Everyone get your flu shot,' she told Fox News Wednesday in an interview conducted from the White House. 'That's what he was saying but leave it to CNN and some of the other networks to really take those comments out of context,' she added.

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New White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claims the media took out of context comments CDC Director Robert Redfield about a second coronavirus wave

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Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Washington Post that a second wave of coronavirus - combined with flu season - could overwhelm hospitals

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Redfield retweeted the Washington Post's tweet about his interview with the paper[size=18]CDC director issues new guidelines for essential health care workers

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Redfield told The Washington Post in an interview on Tuesday that a second wave of the coronavirus, combined with the regular flu season, could be devastating for the country. CNN and other news outlets wrote up his comments given their high news value and interest to the public. The White House, however, has pushed back at what he said. President Donald Trump also claimed Redfield's quote was taken out of context.'CDC Director was totally misquoted by Fake News @CNN on Covid 19. He will be putting out a statement,' the president tweeted.Redfield ended up coming to the daily press briefing at the White House instead of putting out a statement.

His warning in the interview with the Post was clear. 'There's a possibility that the assault of the virus on our nation next winter will actually be even more difficult than the one we just went through,' he said. 'And when I've said this to others, they kind of put their head back, they don't understand what I mean.''We're going to have the flu epidemic and the coronavirus epidemic at the same time,' he said. Redfield also retweeted the Washington Post's tweet on his interview, which contained the headline: 'CDC director warns second wave of coronavirus this winter will be worse.' In the interview, he warned the dual trenches of illness could overwhelm the healthcare system. The United States has more than 850,000 cases of the coronavirus and more than 48,000 deaths. And Redfield reiterated 'the enormous impact' social distancing has 'had on this outbreak in our nation'. He said guidance for reopening states 'will be in the public domain shortly.' The CDC is looking to hire more staff, Redfield said, as 'contact tracers'.

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President Trump also claimed the CDC director's comments were taken out of context and said he would put out a statement

They alert people who may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus so they can self-quarantine or be tested themselves. But Redfield also urged Americans to get the flu vaccination which 'may allow there to be a hospital bed available for your mother or grandmother that may get coronavirus.' He said that if flu and corona had peaked at same time 'it could have been really, really, really, really difficult in terms of health capacity.'

Yep annemarie. After all these years how can anyone deny that Trump lives in his own reality. I don’t know if he just chooses to do so because that’s the only way that he can defend his version of the truth or if there is a mental deficiency. He can never be wrong and he can never be criticized because his narcissism won’t accept anything less than being the smartest and most powerful person who EVER existed. It’s beyond me too to understand why people believe his lies. I guess some just don’t care because they love his ugly bravado and for others it’s nothing more than transactional. They accept taking the bad for what they see they will get in return. But the majority of people in this country believe in reality and see as pretty disturbing the way Trump has handled this pandemic. Hopefully he will be decisively defeated in November.

Yep! He's a real prize, isn't he? I have long felt that Mitch McConnell is the most dangerous man in US politics. He has done more to divide and destroy this country than anyone I can think of - including drumpf! McConnell is corrupt and nasty, but smart. drumpf is just a mud-fucking dumb dementia victim.

McConnell's up for re-election. Anyone who can afford to should donate to his Democratic opponent. She's got a good chance to win.

[size=48]Obama Takes Very Unsubtle Dig at Trump’s Leadership During Coronavirus PandemicThe former president tweeted this week that the U.S. was still waiting for “a coherent national plan"By Sean Neumann April 23, 2020 01:02 PM

MARK WILSON/GETTY; SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTYFormer President Barack Obama voiced his clearest concern yet about President Donald Trump‘s coronavirus response on Twitter on Wednesday, writing that there was still no “coherent national plan” to combat the spread of the respiratory illness.“While we continue to wait for a coherent national plan to navigate this pandemic, states like Massachusetts are beginning to adopt their own public health plans to combat this virus––before it’s too late,” Obama, 58, tweeted along with a New Yorker article about possible strategies to pursue against the virus.Obama has been largely silent on his successor’s policies since 2017, reflecting a legacy of former presidents who then avoid criticizing the White House. He said in 2018 that he was “intent on following a wise American tradition of ex-presidents gracefully exiting the political stage and making room for new voices and new ideas.”But he has been increasingly critical of how the Trump administration has handled the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

Trump, 73, and the federal government have been under intense scrutiny — initially because of issues rolling out testing kits nationwide and because of Trump’s changing tone on the seriousness of the virus.More recently, Trump sparred with some governors over when the country should begin to reopen (falsely claiming he had “total” authority over the states), and he’s repeatedly lashed out at reporters who ask him questions he doesn’t like.Trump insists he was well aware of the pandemic even before others were and that he saved tens of thousands of lives by stopping some travel from China in January.But elsewhere he has described the virus as a kind of spontaneous calamity out of his control, and he previously downplayed it compared to the seasonal flu.“How many people died in the United States? And yet I closed up the country, and I believe there were no deaths — zero deaths — at the time I closed up the country,” Trump told a reporter last week, exaggerating the extent of his travel bans. “Nobody was there. And you should say ‘thank you very much’ for good judgment.”

On Wednesday, he said, “Our aggressive strategy to battle the virus is working and that more states will soon be in a position to gradually and safely reopen. It’s very exciting.”As of Thursday, about 42,000 people in the U.S. had died from the virus, according to a New York Times tracker.

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Barack Obama

@BarackObama

[ltr]While we continue to wait for a coherent national plan to navigate this pandemic, states like Massachusetts are beginning to adopt their own public health plans to combat this virus––before it's too late. https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/its-not-too-late-to-go-on-offense-against-the-coronavirus …[/ltr]

It’s Not Too Late to Go on Offense Against the Coronavirus

To end the nightmare, lockdowns aren’t enough. We need to hunt the virus and defeat it.newyorker.com

160K3:40 PM - Apr 22, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

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42.4K people are talking about this

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RELATED: Barack Obama Criticizes Donald Trump’s Coronavirus and Climate Change Policies in All but Name

Obama’s Wednesday tweet follows another late-March tweet he sent criticizing Trump in all but name. (There is no love lost between them: Trump, who defeated Obama’s former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, notoriously spread the conspiracy theory that Obama wasn’t born in the U.S.)“We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial,” Obama wrote in March. “All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall.”Obama has also endorsed Trump’s likely challenger in November’s election: Obama’s former vice president, Joe Biden.“I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now,” he said in an April 14 video endorsement of Biden.“Democrats may not always agree on every detail of the best way to bring about each and every one of these changes, but we do agree that they’re needed. That only happens if we win this election,” Obama continued then. “Because one thing that everybody has learned by now: The Republicans occupying the White House and running the U.S. senate are not interested in progress. They’re interested in power.”

Then President-elect Donald Trump (left) and President Barack Obama on Nov. 10, 2016

JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY

Obama had typically used social media during his post-presidency in a mild manner, mostly tweeting out articles about science, sharing positive human interest stories or sending birthday wishes to his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama.But he has become more active and more urgent.Obama criticized Wisconsin’s decision to hold its election on April 10 after state Democrats there voiced concerns over ongoing social distancing efforts and the public health risk involved with in-person voting.“No one should be forced to choose between their right to vote and their right to stay healthy like the debacle in Wisconsin this week,” Obama tweeted on April 10, adding, “Everyone should have the right to vote safely, and we have the power to make that happen. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”In mid-March, Obama reiterated health experts’ call for social distancing efforts to slow the virus.Trump himself came around on that same strategy days later, and while he has criticized some local pushes to return to normal while the virus is still a threat, he has also praised protestors of stay-at-home measures.

Barack Obama

@BarackObama

[ltr]We've seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can't afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall. https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-03-31/trump-rolls-back-fuel-economy-standards …[/ltr]

The Trump administration released weaker fuel economy standards for new cars and trucks, pitting the federal government against California.latimes.com

344K11:19 AM - Mar 31, 2020Twitter Ads info and privacy

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132K people are talking about this

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The nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned during Wednesday’s White House coronavirus briefing that “there will be coronavirus in the fall.”At that same briefing, however, Trump pondered that the virus “may not come back at all” and that if it does it’s “not going to be like it was.”“I think that the nightly briefing has yielded a lot of inconsistent messages to the public — messages that put people in greater danger,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat whom Trump has criticized, told the Associated Press this week.In Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he was unsure why the president was unhappy with him for obtaining coronavirus testing kits from South Korea after the president encouraged states to figure out testing on their own.“I’m really not sure what he’s upset about,” Hogan told Fox News on Tuesday. “We did what he told us to do.”As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.

Media captionTop US doctor says heat and light are not a treatment for Covid-19

US President Donald Trump has been lambasted by the medical community after suggesting research into whether coronavirus might be treated by injecting disinfectant into the body.

He also appeared to propose irradiating patients' bodies with UV light, an idea dismissed by a doctor at the briefing.

Another of his officials had moments earlier said sunlight and disinfectant were known to kill the infection.

Disinfectants are hazardous substances and can be poisonous if ingested.

Even external exposure can be dangerous to the skin, eyes and respiratory system.

What did President Trump say?

During Thursday's White House coronavirus task force briefing, an official presented the results of US government research that indicated coronavirus appeared to weaken more quickly when exposed to sunlight and heat.

The study also showed bleach could kill the virus in saliva or respiratory fluids within five minutes and isopropyl alcohol could kill it even more quickly.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionBleach and sunshine were proposed as possible strategies to tackle the coronavirus

William Bryan, acting head of the US Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, outlined the findings at the news conference.

While noting the research should be treated with caution, Mr Trump suggested further research in that area.

"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous - whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light," the president said, turning to Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response co-ordinator, "and I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it.

"And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you're going to test that too. Sounds interesting," the president continued.

Media captionDonald Trump criticised Georgia’s governor for reopening

"And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?

"So it'd be interesting to check that."

Pointing to his head, Mr Trump went on: "I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what."

'What I fear the most is not being able to survive'The new house rules of my life under lockdownWatch: False claims by politicians debunked

He turned again to Dr Birx and asked if she had ever heard of using "the heat and the light" to treat coronavirus.

"Not as a treatment," Dr Birx said. "I mean, certainly, fever is a good thing, when you have a fever it helps your body respond. But I've not seen heat or light."

Lawmakers in Michigan are planning to strip the state's Governor, Gretchen Whitmer (pictured) of some powers following perceived excessive coronavirus lockdown measuresMichigan's Republican lawmakers are planning to strip Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer of her powers as armed anti-lockdown protesters gathered outside of her home and demanded she reopen the state's economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Whitmer is expected to speak on Friday about plans to extend Michigan's stay-at-home order and lockdown measures, which are due to expire April 30, until at least May 15.The governor has already said that despite extending the stay-at-home measures, she is hoping to relax some restrictions to start reopening sectors of the economy. Michigan has the third-most reported deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States behind New York and New Jersey. The death toll in the state is currently more than 2,900 and there are nearly 34,000 infections.The fatality rate in Michigan for COVID-19 is the highest in the country at 8.4 percent. Data the measures the rate of coronavirus spread from secondary infections has also indicated that 1.10 people will become infected by a COVID positive person in the state. Republicans have been ramping up their criticism of Gov Whitmer in recent weeks and they've scheduled a session in the Michigan legislature on Friday. They plan to create an oversight committee that would review Whitmer's coronavirus orders and could strip her of some of her powers as governor.+17

A session has been scheduled for today (Friday) to create an oversight committee that would review Whitmer's coronavirus orders, and could strip her of some of her powers as Governor. Pictured: In a play on governor Whitmer's name, one protester carried signs that read 'No more whitless dim Whit'+17

Whitmer has been accused of acting beyond her authority with the measures she has imposed. Pictured: Protesters waved US flags, while others carried gunsWhitmer's critics have accused her of overstepping her authority with the lockdown measures she has put in place in the state.Michigan's stay-at-home orders were revised on April 9 to ban people from visiting friends and relatives and travelling to vacation homes. The updated order also halted sales of certain items such as furniture and gardening supplies.But in a move that angered Michigan's more conservative corners, Whitmer said in a podcast interview that abortions should continue as the procedures are part of 'life-sustaining' health care for women. As news spread that Whitmer was likely to extend the lockdown period until May 15, armed protesters gathered outside of her home on Thursday.Pictures from the scene showed people carrying American and state flags, with some holding 'Trump 2020' placards. One protester held up a sign which read 'No more whitless dim Whit'.As seen in other anti-lockdown protests around the country, some protesters were armed with guns.+17

As news spread that Whitmer was planning to extend the lockdown period, protesters - some of whom were armed - gathered outside the Governor's home on Thursday (pictured)+17

Other protester's carried 'Trump 2020' signs, while others carried signs asking for them to be allowed back to work+17

Whitmer, 48, has been accused by some critics of overstepping the authority of her position with the measures she has put in place in the state+17

On April 9, she revised the stay-at-home orders to ban people from visiting friends and relatives, travelling to vacation homes and halted sales of certain items such as furniture and gardening suppliesThe demonstration was dubbed 'operation Queen's castle', referencing Whitmer's perceived excessive implementation of the coronavirus lockdown measures.Images shared by protesters on the group's Facebook event page showed Whitmer wearing a crown, according to Fox 2. On the page, a message said they were protesting 'near the taxpayer-funded mansion to advocate re-opening Michigan NOW, as well as ask Whitmer why she does not follow her own order and 'Stay Home, Stay Safe?'Brian Pannebecker, who helped organize the protest, told the news outlet 'We wanted to send Gretchen Whitmer a message, we didn't want to surrender our liberties just for a little temporary safety.'However, the protests outside Whitmer's home appeared to be significantly smaller than the demonstration held last week outside of the State Capitol in Lansing.Large crowds of protesters had gathered at the urging of Trump, who encouraged his followers to ‘liberate’ Michigan as well as other states including Minnesota and Virginia. Whitmer had told reporters of the lockdown extension, 'There will be a need for an extension of some sort.''We know that even when we get to a stable moment, people who are compromised, who are vulnerable to COVID-19, are still going to need to stay home.'Some version will be in effect for a while.'And her spokesman promised a veto against the Republicans' planned move on Friday, and said the political opponents were 'playing dangerous partisan games' while the governor is focused on saving lives and controlling the spread of the virus. +17

However, in a move that angered Michigan's more conservative corners, she said in a podcast interview that abortions should continue as the procedures are part of 'life-sustaining' health care for women+17

Pictures from the scene show people carrying American and state flags, with some holding 'Trump 2020' placardsGovernor Whitmer has been in the news on numerous occasions during the coronavirus crisis.On Tuesday she was forced to backtrack after she awarded a state contract to a Democratic consulting firm to track the spread of the coronavirus.Her decision to award the contract to Great Lakes Community Engagement, a firm run by Mike Kolehouse, a Democratic political consultant who made unsavory comments about President Trump in recent weeks, drew immediate backlash.The consultancy firm had planned to use software that is also used by a Democratic data firm that is working to help get the governor reelected.The contract was worth $200,000 over an eight-week period, but Whitmer's administration has now admitted that it circumvented the process by which state contracts are normally awarded.[size=10][size=18]Whitmer announces expansion of COVID testing sites across Michigan

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Republican's then weighed in and accused the governor of surreptitiously obtaining data that might be useful for her political campaign under the guise of a healthcare project.She cancelled the contract and rescinded the funding abruptly after the backlash.'This contract should have been approved by the State Emergency Operations Center,' a Whitmer spokesperson said to Fox News at the time. 'This issue is being corrected, and a different vendor and software platform will be selected by the SEOC. The state is committed to ensuring this important tracing work can begin quickly to help save lives, while also ensuring that public health data is safe and secure.'+17

On a Facebook page about the protest, a message said they were protesting 'near the taxpayer-funded mansion to advocate re-opening Michigan NOW, as well as ask Whitmer why she does not follow her own order and 'Stay Home, Stay Safe?'. Pictured: One protester wears a Trump face mask as he joins demonstrations on Thursday+17

Governor Whitmer has been in the news on numerous occasions during the coronavirus crisis. Pictured: One protester carries an enormous US flag+17

Whitmer had told reporters of the lockdown extension, 'There will be a need for an extension of some sort.' Pictured: Protesters outside Whitmer's homeHowever, according to Crain's Detroit, Great Lakes Community Engagement had already been working on the project for the past three weeks despite not being announced publicly.Kolehouse wrote in a tweet regarding Trump in March: 'I hope he gets coronavirus ASAP. Can someone do the country a favor and cough on that man?' According to data from the New York Times, there has been a total of 35,252 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Michigan, with 2,977 deaths as a result of the disease.Meanwhile, the number of deaths in the U.S. passed another grim milestone yesterday as the figure rose past 50,000, reaching 50,442. The country has also seen 891,622 confirmed cases of the disease.

[size=34]Revealed: Donald Trump's aides launched extraordinary effort to push unproven hydroxychloroquine as he called it a 'game changer' demanding it be available without prescription and bending rules to flood it to hospitals[/size]

White House aides are behind a serious effort to push hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus and ramp up production and distribution of the Malaria drug

Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary at HHS, sent an email April 4 pushing for fellow government officials 'to flood Ny and NJ with treatment courses'

The officials were not pleased with an approach where only hospitals were able to obtain and give out the drug, claiming it needed to be available at drug stores

Donald Trump often touts the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus, often lauding the drug as a 'game changer'

Experts have pushed back, claiming that the effectiveness of the drug in coronavirus patients is still unproven and could pose more risk than benefit

Donald Trump's aides on the front lines of the White House coronavirus response launched a huge behind-the-scenes effort to push antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the new virus.Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, sent a group email in early April outlining the White House's effort to push the drug, according to a Friday report from Vanity Fair.'WH call. Really want to flood Ny and NJ with treatment courses,' Grior said in the email to FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Robert Kadlec and Navy Rear Admiral John Polowczyk, who leads a supply-chain task force at FEMA.New York and New Jersey remain the two state most hard-hit by COVID-19, with nearly 21,000 combined deaths and are approaching a combined 360,000 confirmed cases. 'Hospitals have it,' Grior said of hydroxychloroquine in the April 4 email. 'Sick out patients don't. And can't get.''So go through distribution channels as we discussed. If we have 29 million perhaps send a few million ASAP? WH wants follow up in AM,' he continued. 'We can get a lot more of this. Right Bob? Millions per week?'

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White House aides are behind a serious effort to push hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus and ramp up production and distribution of the Malaria drug

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Admiral Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary at HHS, sent an email April 4 pushing for government officials 'to flood Ny and NJ with treatment courses'

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Donald Trump often touts the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus, despite experts pushing back that the effectiveness in COVID-19 patients is still unproven and could pose more risk than benefit

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New York and New Jersey are the states most hard-hit by coronavirus, both in terms of deaths and cases, with nearly 21,000 combined deaths in the two states of the more than 50,000 deaths naton-wideThe emails between White House officials and members of the coronavirus response team show that the administration's top officials were closely involved in the effort to push Americans to use the drug and make it widely available.The Food and Drug Administration rolled out an emergency rule limiting distribution of hydroxychloroquine to patients hospitalized with coronavirus.Just one hour after the initial email, however, Gaynor replied to Kadlec, Giroir, and Polowczyk and suggested that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hagn was on board with expanding patient access to the drug.'Hahn asked to distribute to hospitals and the drug stores,' the FEMA administrator said.Gaynor then said in a second email sent that night that he was working closely with Rear Admiral Polowczyk on the initiative.'Me and Adm P are on it. More to follow in the am,' Gaynor wrote.President Trump has been touting hydroxychloroquine for weeks at his nearly-daily press briefings as an effective treatment for coronavirus, often calling the drug a 'game changer' in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The email from Grior followed the April 4 press briefing where Trump claimed the U.S. has millions of doses, as governors across the country pleaded for the federal government to help them acquire more tests, ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers.'We have millions and millions of doses of it—29 million to be exact,' the president said of the Malaria drug. 'We're just hearing really positive stories, and we're continuing to collect the data.'A federal official with knowledge of the deliberations surrounding the drug told Vanity Fair that the federal government's top interagency working group of clinicians and scientists tried to stop White House conversations about its use to treat coronavirus on March 24.The White House push for using the drug that attacks blood parasites for COVID-19, which is thought to be a respiratory disease, has sparked worldwide shortage of the drug. It also prompted the start of U.S. negotiations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lift export restrictions on its active ingredient.

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These officials were not satisfied with only allowing hospitals to obtain and give out hydroxychloroquine, and pushed for it to also be available at drug stores A medical countermeasures group within HHS recommended the proposed treatment only be studied in controlled trials, Vanity Fair revealed in document reviews.The safety and efficacy, the HHS group claimed, was 'not supported by data from reliable clinical trials or from non-human primates' and carried 'potential risks.'Hydroxychloroquine is used to treat malaria as well as autoimmune conditions like lupus, and can have serious side effects, including heart arrhythmias.A FEMA spokesperson asserted to Vanity Fair that the administration 'does not maintain stocks of medicine,' despite Gaynor's apparent involvement in the White House effort to get more stock of the drug.'Given increased demand, Dr. Hahn considered whether the donated drugs could be distributed in the commercial market to ensure a stable supply for malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis patients,' the spokesperson said.While there has been a push for hydroxychloroquine use by some in the White House, there are others who are starkly against urging coronavirus patients to use the drug.An HHS official who was the administration's top coronavirus vaccine developer, Rick Bright, was pushed out of his position April 21 - and he claims he was ousted because he resisted efforts 'to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections.'

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Bright was the head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which partners with private ventures to develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. 'I rightly resisted efforts to provide an unproven drug on demand to the American public,' Bright said in a statement reported by The New York Times. 'I insisted that these drugs be provided only to hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 while under the supervision of a physician.'Top officials, however, were not pleased with the restrictive approach and pushed for widespread distribution of hydroxychloroquine.Grior sent an email to Gaynor arguing against limiting the drugs to use only at hospitals.'NOPE. Needs to go to pharmacies as well,' he wrote in the email. 'The EUA matters not. The drug is approved [and] therefore can be prescribed as per doctor's orders That is a FINAL ANSWER.'

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Thanks, PAN. Some of the comments were really funny. I had no idea the moron couldn't tell the difference between cleaning advice and medical advice. I stopped watching his pressers days ago.

I fully believe he's suffering from some form of dementia, which in someone as stupid as he is is extremely dangerous for our country. If they won't use the 25th Amendment then I believe a coup is in order. The sooner the better

Annemarie - These people believe every word drumpf says and would vote for him over Jesus. When their friends and neighbors start dying, either from the virus or from following drumpf's advice on how to cure it, maybe they'll wake up to reality. (I guess if you're dead you no longer have the virus - so is being dead a cure?)

So many people in our country knew before he was elected what a danger he was to our country. And since his election he has proved it over and over again. We can’t even get this guy rightfully removed from office through impeachment because of one completely corrupt political party which will stand with him to the bitter end.

Along with being the laughing stock of the world our country is in dire straits as long as he remains in office.

Annemarie, what has President Trump done that's made our country worse? The Obama/Biden administration made legislation that put my family in extreme danger with no recourse. It literally was the hand of God and the hands of caring doctors that they are alive today.

Doctors, Nurses, and Respiratory therapist that are protected under legislation made by the Obama/Biden administration tried to murder or impose EXTREME permanent bodily harm.

In a letter, Gen. David H. Berger, the Marine commandant, said the symbol had “the power to inflame division.”

In a letter posted Thursday, Gen. David Berger, the Marine commandant, emphasized the importance of building a team without divisions.Credit...Alex Brandon/Associated Press

By Derrick Bryson Taylor

The commandant of the Marine Corps has banned the public display of the Confederate battle flag, a symbol that he said had the “power to inflame” division.

“I am mindful that many people believe that flag to be a symbol of heritage and regional pride,” Gen. David H. Berger said in a letter dated Monday and addressed to his fellow Marines. “But I am also mindful of the feelings of pain and rejection of those who inherited the cultural memory and present effects of the scourge of slavery in our country.”

The intent behind the ban was not to judge the meaning that individual Marines ascribe to the symbol, he said, but rather to help build “a uniquely capable warfighting team whose members come from all walks of life.”

The flag has the “power to inflame feelings of division,” he said, adding, “I cannot have that division inside our Corps.”

All Marine Corps installations have regulations prohibiting the display of symbols related to hate speech, guidelines that General Berger said were intended to foster an environment that promotes unity and security.

He ended his letter by asking Marines to focus on the symbols that unite them: the eagle, globe and anchor.

It was not immediately clear if the ban would apply to clothing and cars owned by Marines when they are off base and off duty. The Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

The announcement came two months after General Berger ordered the removal of all Confederate paraphernalia from Marine Corps installations, according to CNN.

It was one of several directives, some of which he announced on Twitter, for “immediate execution.” Among them were revisions of the corps’s paternal leave policy and its enlistment policy, to disqualify applicants with a domestic violence conviction.

General Berger’s announcement follows years of national debate over the removal of Confederate flags and monuments from parks, public squares and college campuses across the South.

In June 2015, Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina ordered that the Confederate battle flag be permanently lowered from the grounds of the State House after decades of political battles.

Four years later, Ms. Haley was criticized after she told a conservative radio host that the flag had symbolized “service, sacrifice and heritage” for some people in the state until Dylann S. Roof, who fatally shot nine African-American churchgoers in a racially motivated rampage in Charleston in 2015, “hijacked” it.

Statues and other monuments symbolizing the Old South have also been the subject of intense debate.In November, a Confederate monument in Pittsboro, N.C., was removed from outside a courthouse where it had stood for 112 years, following months of what the chairman of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners described as “high emotions, division and even violence.” Some cities have even gone so far as to auction off their Confederate statues.